The source of the waters

The natural mineral water of Vidago, recognised for its curative properties, is used in treatments and health programmes developed under the guidance of a highly specialised medical team.

Incalculable value!

In the beginning there was, and always will be... the "very rare” carbonated mineral water, "discovered” by a farm labourer in the 19th century. This "balanced, fine and delicate” water has always been associated with Vidago. The history of the waters of Vidago began in the 16th century, when it was credited with therapeutic and curative properties. Drawn directly from deep bedrock of pure granite, these waters are currently used in various treatments exclusive to the Vidago Palace Hotel Spa. The architectural elegance of the hotel and the fresh, clean, contemporary lines of the Spa bring a new dimension to Vidago’s famous park and hotel, after centuries of incalculable value!

Exclusive water

The water of Vidago is one of the richest alkaline waters. Its properties are indicated to ease digestion, decongest the liver and help cleanse the kidneys, among other benefits.

For long decades the waters of Vidago have been part of the daily life and traditions of the people of the town. Their excellent therapeutic properties made Vidago famous and at the beginning of the 20th century turned it into Portugal’s leading resort and one of the biggest on the Iberian Peninsula, a favourite destination of the Portuguese and European aristocracy.

It was in 1863 that this natural bounty came to light, and bottling of Vidago water began for the first time in 1886. It can still be tasted directly from the spring, in its highly concentrated, naturally carbonated form. There are currently three springs that bubble to the surface within the grounds of the Vidago Palace Hotel’s Vidago Park.

The chemical composition of Vidago’s waters differs slightly from one source to another, but they have in common an exceptionally high mineral content, and in particular iron content, with therapeutic properties. Generations ago, doctors would prescribe a specific spring from which to drink. They would encourage their patients to do the "water walk”, taking their daily dose as they strolled the paths of the park from one pavilion to the next. The same thing happens today!

The waters come from four cold mineral springs. Hypersaline and alkaline, they contain sodium and bicarbonate ions as well as traces of arsenic, iron and fluoride.

Historical Curiosities

Did you know?

The Romans used the waters of Vidago for drinking and washing because they believed it cured their illnesses?

In 1863, a farm worker on his way back from the fields came across a small spring and although he found the water strong to the taste, he immediately felt relief in his stomach. The same farm worker, whose name was Manuel de Sousa, suffered from indigestion, and this prompted him to drink again from the same source in the days that followed. With such manifest benefits, who could keep this miraculous water a secret? Manuel de Sousa told people of his discovery and word soon began to spread…

At one point 500,000 bottles from the Vidago source were bottled annually. Bottling went on from sunrise until midnight, in shifts of four women and three men. The water was sold by the "pharmacies of the kingdom”; its qualities were acknowledged in 1878, 1889 and 1893, at the International Exhibitions of Vienna, Philadelphia, Madrid, Paris and Bordeaux, where it won gold medals and certificates of achievement.